Playing-ball.



Patented luly I5, i902. E. KEMPSHALL.

PLAYmG BALL. {App1ication led Apr. 23, 1902.)

(No Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLAYING-BALL.

SPECXFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,748, dated July 15,1902.

Application filed April 23, 1902. Serial No. 104,318 (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. it 11i/ay concern.-

Be it known that l, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,Vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing-Balls, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to playing-balls, the object being to provide aball of improved construction and quality especially adapted for use inthe game of golf.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure l illustrates l a complete hall partly broken away to disclosethe construction. Fig. 2 is a view of the separated hemisphericalmetallic coresegments, showing the surface tongues or fins. Fig. 3illustrates a preferred method of manufacturing the ball, and Fig. 4 isan enlarged fragmentary detail showing the fabric layers of fibrous andplastic material. l Similar characters 4of reference designatelike partsin the figures. V

I produce a rigid hollow1 center piece or core (designated by A) of therequired size and shape and preferably offslightly-leXilolc material,this being formed, preferably, of hernispherical segments, (designatedin Fig. 2 by B and C, respectively.) Distributed over the outer surfaceof these segments are y struck-up fins or tongues 2, and these engage inand assist in the anchoring of the shell-segments D andD to the centerpiece A When the componentsof -the ball are as-v sembled. By striking upthe'material of the core A,I form openings 3 in the surfacevthereol",vvhereby the resilience of said core is` modified and somewhatincreased, and these openings also form outlets into or through whichsome portion of the material of the shell will be forced when the latteris pressed into shape by the heating and forming dies. The extent towhich the shell material will ilow into or through the openings 3 willdepend, of course, upon the consistency of the shell material and thesize and number of the openings.

The tongues 2 of the spherical metallic core are so struck up that theywill all point toward the equator of the sphere, as clearly illustratedin Figs. 2, 3, and et. By this arrangement the shellsegments D and D arenot only more vpernfianently anchored to the core,

butthe segments are held together at their weld or edges and are lessliable to be separated.V v v In the present instance, and preferably so,the metallic center piece or core is formed of hemispherical segments,and4 one lof these is providedat its edge with a reduced circumferentialportion or shoulder E, which registers with theicircumferential edge ofthe correspondinghemisphericalsegments,thereby forming a reinforcing lap-joint F, and these segments are preferably permanently joined beforethe shell is placed thereon.

Upon the metallic center piece or filling A, which is somewhat too bulkyfor the capacity of the finished shell, I compress thel hemisphericalshell-segments D D' of previouslyformed layers 7 ande of a suitablesubstance or material, such as gutta-percha or celluloid, intermediateof which is a layer 5 of fabric or brous material or permeable cloth of.open mesh. When the ball is subjected -to the compression between v'thefinishingdies, part of thelsemiplastic material of the innerlayer 4 ofthe, outer shell is forced through the openings 3 and forms keys on theinterior of the hollow` sphere, thereby locking the shell to the'core.The fabric layer .5, forming a foundation for the outer shell layer 7,will prevent said` outer layer from collapsing or'bec'oming ,indented atthe particular point of flowage ofthe-inner layer into the opening whensaid-shell-'segments D and D [are pressed upon ,the metallic core Abetween the forming andheating dies G and H.

The edge of v theoriginal shell-segments may vbe somewhat full, Ytherebyfurnishing matelrial lfor properly forming the joint between themas theyare subjected to the inal compression, during which the ball is finallyshaped, andat thesame time .the center of IOO lic center piece alsoforms a cushion, which l receives the blow imparted `to the shell," andby reason of the resisting force of said core the dying qualities oftheball are materially increased.

The outer shell is preferably compacted and welded together upon theinner springy shell. Preferably each of the'shells is thin, and theouter is softer and materially thicker than the inner, as well as havinga springy quality. The parts are preferably assembled betweenheating-dies G and H,Which are brought together with great force, so asto effect the weld. By reason of the pressure portions of the-plasticcelluloid are caused to protrude into the openings 3 in the inner shelland may form keys 6 on the interior of the latter. The tongues or barbs2 penetrate and clench the celluloid segments together, the barbs uponone of the hemispheres pointing toward those on the other, so that itbecomes impossible to separate the segments.

lt will be understood that the extent to which the material of the innerlayer of the shell will ow into or through the perforations of a hollowcore will depend, of course, upon the consistency of the material ofsuch inner layer and the size and number of the perforations of thecore.

It is to be understood that While the core herein shown is made ofhemispherical segments of metal with struck-up tongues or fins and whichis provided with openings for receiving the surplus material of theshell when the latter is compressed upon the core a continuoushard-material shell which is provided with distributing-perforations andprojections or anchoring devices of any form for the purpose set forthmay be employed within the scope and spirit of this invention and alsothat the shell may be built up of a plurality of layers of plastic orspringy material and a plurality of layers of fabric.

Having described my invention, I claiml. A hollow playing-ballconsisting entirely of two thin shells,whereof the inner shell is ofhard,springymaterial,and the outeris thicker than the inner and consistsof hard, plastic material reinforced by fibrous material; said innershell having perforations through which the material of the outer shellprotrudes.

2. A playing-ball consisting entirely of a thin, springy, perforatedmetal shell, and a thicker shell thereon formed of hard, springy,plastic material incorporated with fabric.

3. A playing-ball consisting entirely of a thin, springy, perforatedmetal shell, and a thicker shell thereon formed of hard, springy,plastic material and fabric, the fabric being in the form of a layerbetween two layers ofthe plastic material, and the material of the innerplastic layer protruding into the perforations in said metal shell.

4. A hollowplaying-ball consisting wholly of two thin shells, whereofthe inner is thinner than the outer, and consists of springy metalprovided with perforations, said outer shell consisting of a pluralityof layers of plastic material and a reinforcing layer offabric; thematerial of said outer shell protruding into said perforations.

5. Aplaying-ball comprising a thin shell of springy metal, said shellbeing provided throughout with perforations, and a hard springy coverfor said shell; said cover consisting of plastic material and fabric.

G. A playing-ball comprising a thin shell of metal provided withperforations, and a shell of Celluloid and fabric compacted upon saidshell, portions of the Celluloid protruding into said perforations.

7. A playing-ball comprising a complete shell having perforations, and ashell thereon consisting of segments ofplastic material and fabric,saidsegments being welded together at their edges; portions of theplastic material entering said perforations and locking said shellstogether.

each consisting of plastic material and fabric; said barbs beingembedded in said plastic material and preventing separation of saidsegments.

9. A playing-ball comprising a thin perforated metal shell having barbs,and a shell formed of welded segments of plastic material IOO ll. Aplaying-ball comprising a shell hav- I ing barbs, and a shell formed ofjoined segments of plastic material and fabric; said IOS barbs beingembedded in said plastic material; l

the barbs in one hemisphere pointing toward those in the otherhemisphere, thereby to clench said segments together.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL. Witnesses:

F. NV. BARNACLO, B. C. STICKNEY.

